FGD 10: Blues travellers (6pm MT, SN360)

Last night, the Calgary Flames (5-4-0) overcame a rough start to rally back and beat Nashville in a shootout. Tonight they’ll try to stay above .500 when they face a very strong St. Louis Blues (6-2-1) club at the Scottrade Center. The Blues are, in a word, good, but the Flames have played quite well in their last two games. Can they keep their momentum going? Let’s find out.

The puck drops at 6 p.m. MT on Sportsnet 960 The Fan and Sportsnet 360.

Eddie Lack starts for the Flames for the first time this season, with Mike Smith wearing the ball-cap as his backup tonight. Matt Bartkowski, Freddie Hamilton and Tanner Glass will probably be in the press box this evening with the team seemingly going with the same lineup as last night.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Tkachuk, who grew up in the area. He’s coming off a superb game in Nashville last night and overall has consistently been one of the team’s best players. Also good last night? Sam Bennett, who suddenly found himself on the wing and looked more comfortable than he has been all season. With the Flames on the back end of their back-to-back, expect Glen Gulutzan to lean on his youngest line a bit more tonight than he did in Nashville.

Jake Allen gets the start, backed up by Carter Hutton. The extras look to be Carl Gunnarsson and Dmitrij Jaskin. The Blues have been idle since their 3-2 overtime loss on Saturday night against Vegas.

St. Louis has won many, many games. They’re missing a lot of their key players, but they’re a deep enough team that it hasn’t really derailed them. Their special teams units are under-performing so far, but that’s the closest thing you can probably point to as far as a Blues’ weakness.

Injury Report

Flames: Daniel Pribyl (knee) and Jaromir Jagr (lower-body) are on the injured reserve.

We are doomed, if Smith goes down. Lack is not our #2. I’d rather see Rittich or Gillies in that role.

Alas…

Also, we have some nice “pieces”, but we are far from a playoff team, at present. Lazar may be a better version of Shinkaruk – great skating/no hands. Jankowski needs to stay up. Stajan may have to be waived. Ditto, Brouwer. A 4th line of Versteeg-Lazar-Hathaway would be far more productive, but also shows this fan how little depth we have, in terms of forwards.

Kulak needs to be given the same minutes they gave Bartkowski, and more, unless I’ve missed something.

Someone said Vegas is 7-1 because the players have nothing to lose, getting second chances, and so forth. I say it’s the coaching staff, particularly Gallant. I am beginning to think he is the type of coach we need, here. Though GG did have a spectacular run with basically the same cast of characters, January onward, last season.

As for Bennett… He’ll be fine w/Jankowski and Jagr. GG – make this happen!! (He’d also be fine w/Jankowski and Ferland).